Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Leading article: Worrying signs of more trouble to come in Libya

Wednesday 25 January 2012 01:00 GMT
Comments

It was never going to be easy. Despite the jubilation in Libya at the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi last September, the overthrow of the dictator was only ever the end of the beginning. And so it is proving. While international attention has shifted to the bloodshed in Syria, the National Transitional Council in Tripoli has struggled either to bring to heel the hotchpotch of militias that made up Libya's rebel forces, or to satisfy the demands of a newly enfranchised citizenry, or to defuse tribal tensions stirred up by the revolution.

The latest upheavals are in Bani Walid, where Gaddafi loyalists seized control and hoisted the green flag of the ousted regime. Bani Walid may not be the first outbreak of violence, but it is the most significant – even more so as it comes against a backdrop of increasing popular protests. Gaddafi may be gone, but the upheavals in Libya are far from over.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in